The day JFK died, Walt Disney discovered Orlando

November 21, 2013|By James C. Clark, Guest columnist

Around the world, Nov. 22 is being commemorated as the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But another event occurred on the same date that became the most important date in Orlando history, and brought many of us here today.

The story begins in the 1950s, soon after Disneyland opened in California. Walt Disney was soon being asked when and if he would open a second Disneyland — perhaps on the East Coast. Disney demurred, saying he still needed to work on the California site. But it was already on his mind.

Surveys showed that just 2 percent of the guests at Disneyland came from East of the Mississippi, a fertile market for Disney. Thus began five years of false starts and feigns. Walt Disney first considered Niagara Falls, then one of the leading tourist destinations in the nation, but was told the park could only be open a few months a year.

A site outside of New York City was considered, but rejected because of the weather and because Walt Disney thought there was too much competition for the entertainment dollar. Washington, D.C. was considered, and remained in contention until nearly the end. St. Louis appeared to be in the lead, but the geography clashed with what Walt Disney had in mind.

Three Florida sites emerged. Walt Disney explored possibilities for development near West Palm Beach that nearly became reality.

In mid-November, Disney flew into Tampa to explore two other sites. On Nov. 21, 1963, he drove to Ocala to explore sites there. He had been there a number of times. His parents had lived in Paisley before he was born, and he had returned as a youth to visit relatives.

Paisley is about equal distance from Ocala, Orlando and Daytona Beach, but the family usually headed for Daytona Beach or Ocala when it needed a trip to the "big city."

Ocala had some advantages, including the highway system. The turnpike came within a few miles, and two other major highways passed through the town. U.S. Highway 301 was a major north-south route before the interstate was completed, stretching from Delaware to Sarasota. And U.S. Highway 27 stretched from Miami to Canada. Land in Ocala was cheap and plentiful, and the elevation was a few feet higher, which meant the land was not as swampy.

He drove back to Tampa, with one final site to inspect. The next morning he boarded his private plane and headed for Orlando.

He flew over the coastal areas in his Gulfstream, but it convinced him of what he already knew: He did not want his park built near the coast. He was worried about hurricanes, but his primary concern was that the free beach would be a strong competitor for tourists.

He then headed for Orlando, flying low near the intersection of the turnpike and Interstate 4. The land was owned by Bill and Jack Demetree, two cousins who had formed a development company. They had started in Jacksonville, then moved their headquarters to Orlando just a couple of years earlier.

The Demetree cousins were reluctant owners of 12,400 acres. They bought the land, but through one of those complicated land deals that always seem to happen in Florida, the mineral rights were owned by Tufts University. That meant that there was almost nothing the Demetree cousins could do with their land. They certainly could not build anything. And, they had a $90,000 payment coming due on what had become a huge hunting camp.

Walt Disney looked out the window of the plane and said, "That's it." Mary Demetree, the daughter of Bill Demetree, remembers her father saying that Walt pointed out the location that would become Tom Sawyer's island.

Disney purchased the 12,400 acres from the Demetrees — this land is the heart of the Magic Kingdom. For Disney, obtaining a meeting with Tufts University officials was no problem, and he quickly acquired the mineral rights. Disney added another 12,000 acres from a number of sources.

Secrecy was already vital to Disney's plans, and he decided not to land his plane in Orlando and stopped to refuel in New Orleans on his way back to California. When he landed, he was told that Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas.

James C. Clark is a lecturer at the University of Central Florida History Department.